Oceanwatcher Media – Svein Wisnaeshttps://www.oceanwatcher.com Photography-video-workshops-web services-consultingSun, 04 Nov 2018 03:33:23 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3https://www.oceanwatcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cropped-Favicon-32x32.pngOceanwatcher Media – Svein Wisnaeshttps://www.oceanwatcher.com 3232How to remove a white backgroundhttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/how-to-remove-a-white-background/ Sat, 18 Aug 2018 00:21:49 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=29832One technique that is really in demand is how to lift an image off a white background. I wrote another post about this on a different website some years ago, and it was easily the most popular post there. This is a complete rewrite with updated methods for Photoshop CC.

One technique that is really in demand is how to lift an image off a white background. I wrote another post about this on a different website some years ago, and it was easily the most popular post there. This is a complete rewrite with updated methods for Photoshop CC.

Do you want to remove a white background in Photoshop without using selections? This will leave everything that is not white transparent. The darker it is, the less transparent it gets.

So why did I set out to do this in the first place? My first image I wanted to do this with was my signature. I used a pen and paper, then scanned it at high resolution. But after this project, it has become apparent that this technique is needed in other situations as well. Product photos, logos etc. And a lot of people ask for “How to remove a white background?”. So here it is!

Over the years, I have gone through three stages.

Using the Remove White plugin made by Mark McLaren

I used it back in the days of Photoshop 5 and really loved the way you could lift out any object from the white background with a click. If any pixel was not completely black, it would be partially transparent. This meant that soft shadows could be lifted off as well, something I have not been able to do with any other method so far.

Using an extra file – msvcrt10.dll – to be able to run the Remove White plugin

This was basically just a workaround that allowed me to run older plugins in Photoshop CS2. It worked well until the next version of Photoshop was released. So I started searching for a more general way to do this.

Today, I am using a special layer mask

Using any of the normal selection tools is not an option. The finer details and imperfections in a pen stroke would be destroyed. So I needed something else. It would also destroy the fine gradient of soft a shadow. The solution is to use a special layer mask, and it is actually pretty simple. This should be possible for someone to turn into a Photoshop action or a plugin, but I will leave this for someone else to do. Thank you to Cai at Stackexchange for this tip!

The short explanation is that I invert a greyscale version of the image and use that as a layer mask.

First, duplicate your image. Then add a hue/saturation adjustment filter and drag saturation all the way down. If you prefer to use a different method, feel free!

After this step, you can choose to add a curves filter to refine your image. The darker a line is, the less transparent it will end up being.

The last filter is the invert filter. The mask is then ready.

Select everything by pressing CTRL-A, then do a merged copy by pressing CTRL+SHIFT-C.

Now click on your original layer and add a layer mask. Then ALT-CLICK on the mask to edit the mask only. The final step is just to paste in the mask by pressing CTRL-V. If you now hide or delete the layer and effects above your original layer, you will see that you have an image that is transparent where it used to be white, and everything else is partially transparent, depending on how dark the color is. You should see the checkered background through the parts of your image that is not completely black.

To verify that the extraction is ok, make a new layer and fill it with white. Then place this layer under the image layer. You image should now look exactly like it was before you removed the white background.

If you save this as a TIFF or PSD file, it will keep the transparency as long as you do not flatten all layers. And to use it, you only need to place it on its own layer over a document or a picture.

Most people do not like to have a transparent main object, so you need to make a quick mask of your object, fill it with white and place it under your new transparent image layer. But you now have the option to exclude shadows so that the shadow will fall on whatever background you choose for your picture.

Depending on the subject, I feel that it sometimes gets a little washed out. Then just duplicate the layer with the mask, and it should look good again.

This is an effect that is simply not possible by using a mask or doing a selection based on color.

If you like this post, feel free to leave a comment and consider sharing it on your preferred social media sites.

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]]>Caminho de Aparecidahttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/caminho-de-aparecida/ Thu, 13 Jul 2017 17:33:29 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=29595As a photographer I am used to do a lot to get the picture. And when my friend Leandro Reis promised me great photo opportunities of around 300 mountain bikers on a trail in the Brazilian mountains, I just had to go for it. Even if it meant getting up at 04:30 in the morning!

As a photographer I am used to do a lot to get the picture. And when my friend Leandro Reis promised me great photo opportunities of around 300 mountain bikers on a trail in the Brazilian mountains, I just had to go for it. Even if it meant getting up at 04:30 in the morning!

As mentioned before on this site, I am not a morning person. But as long as I can roll out of bed, be quiet and get a shower, I will be ok in about 30 minutes. It is definitely not a pleasure until after those 30 minutes has passed. But then I am ready to do anything. And especially if I get a cup of coffee as well.

My fellow photographer Belmira McLeod picked me up and we went to Hotel Oriente in the center of Itajubá. About 100 of the bikers had been staying there during the night and they were getting ready to leave. Unfortunately, Belmira did not feel too well and decided to return home. But she let me borrow the car for the day, so after making sure she would be ok at home, I was on my way.

The trail — first leg

The bikers were following a pilgrimage trail that goes from Alfenas, Minas Gerais, to Aparecida. Aparecida has the second largest Catholic church in the world. Most of the trail is on dirt road, and parts of it can not be driven by car as it is too narrow. Itajubá is one of the stops along the trail, and this is where I met the bikers and started to follow along.

Well — at least where I could. For the parts that was too narrow for cars, I had to take a slightly different route and the meet up a little further ahead. So my first leg went up to Wenceslau Braz, a city named after a Brazilian president. From there I had to get on a dirt road up to a small place called Charco. It is really high up and at this time of year, cold! One of the local residents told me that they sometimes get a few snowflakes coming down!

I got some good pictures on the way up as well as pictures of bikers arriving at Charco. This day, there were also people on horses along the trail.

Last leg

From Charco, I had to get another route than the bikers again. This time I had to pass through Campos do Jordão, a city that has adopted an Austrian building style and has become a favourite tourist spot for people from the big cities.

On the way there, I had to help a bit with one of the assisting cars following the tour as it suddenly stopped and lost a bit of time. But the trip down from Campos do Jordão to Aparecida was still spectacular and I caught up with the bikers as they were entering the church area around 18:00!

A long day, but absolutely worth it. And I am already planning on doing the whole trail, this time possibly by off-road motorbike.

]]>Photo walking in Itajubáhttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/photo-walking-in-itajuba/ Mon, 13 Oct 2014 19:02:10 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=71A photo walk is a great way to meet other people who enjoy taking pictures, and it is also a good way to get to know a particular area.

So I decided to host a walk as part of the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk 2014. Hosting a walk is a bit more work than just participating, but it is a great way to make sure it is being done!

Saturday came, and it was a beautiful day. Almost a little too beautiful! Unfortunately, the turn out was small – only three photographers showed up. As I want to continue doing this, I will need to figure out ways to attract more people. But let this be said – three great photographers!

The first part was a walk along the open air market along the river. This market is here every Saturday until lunch. The biggest challenge is that they use plastic covers over the stalls in very strong colors, and this gives strong color casts if the sun is shining through it. You can get rid of most of the cast if it is blue by using the white balance. But this will of course skew the colors of anything outside the stall. So you need to think about this as you compose your pictures.

The biggest challenge for me is to approach people and ask to take pictures. In that respect, I am a bit shy and need to learn how to do it. Both at this market and at the Central Market, which is a permanent market with a bigger variety. I will definitely be coming back here and maybe it will get easier if they see me around more often with the camera.

The second part at the Central Market was partly indoor, so the big challenge here was the low light. But I think we all got some good pictures at both places! Thank you Belmira, James and Daniel for participating!

Here are some of my pictures. I am still trying to figure out how to get mixed aspects – both horizontal and vertical pictures – in the same slide show. Will update here as soon as I know! In the mean time, please take a look at the pictures on my Flickr profile. You can find the pictures from all the Itajubá participants here on Flickr.

]]>Worldwide Photo Walk 2014, Itajubáhttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/worldwide-photo-walk-2014-itajuba/ Sun, 31 Aug 2014 18:56:48 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=66There is an event that brings out thousands of photographers every year – the Worldwide Photo Walk. It was started by Scott Kelby, an internationally famous photographer and author, and he encourages others to add photo walks in their own cities. So this year, on October 11, I am going to host a walk in Itajubá!

There is an event that brings out thousands of photographers every year – the Worldwide Photo Walk. It was started by Scott Kelby, an internationally famous photographer and author, and he encourages others to add photo walks in their own cities. So this year, on October 11, I am going to host a walk in Itajubá!

There are a lot of places I could have chosen, but this time I decided to use the opportunity to visit two different markets. One that is only available on Saturdays, the other is the permanent central market. After the walk, we will head over to Café Floresta for a coffee and a chat! You’ll find all the details in the text under here, both in Portuguese and English. A big thank you to Sarah Marques and Eni Rodrigues for translating and revising the text! What are you waiting for? Go to this page to sign up now:

We will start by visiting the Saturday market along the river behind Banco ITAU. There will be a lot of people there and it should provide us with many opportunities for interesting pictures. After we have spent some time there, we will walk across the bridge to the central market – Mercado Municipal. As this is partly indoors, it gives us some different photographic challenges. It is also an old building with a lot of interesting details.

From here, we walk towards the other side of the city center and meet up at Café Floresta for a coffee, something to eat and a general chat about our day. They have a good internet connection, so if you want to upload your images, you can do that there if you have a computer available (or a phone).

Remember: You do NOT need to have an advanced camera to participate! A pocket camera or a phone is also acceptable!

Would you like to show the results of your walk? Share as many pictures as you want on Flickr in these groups:

If you want, you can also upload one (1) picture from the walk to the official photo walk website and participate in a competition for several prices. The local winner in Itajubá will receive a full year membership to Kelby One (a $249.00 value) and compete for other prizes in the worldwide competition.

]]>Rise and shine – waking up early!https://www.oceanwatcher.com/rise-and-shine-waking-up-early/ Fri, 15 Aug 2014 18:54:37 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=64Most photographers have heard about the golden hour. That fantastic time of the day when the light is warm and inviting and make everything look beautiful. And depending on how close to or far away from the equator you are it will be shorter or longer.

Most photographers have heard about the golden hour. That fantastic time of the day when the light is warm and inviting and make everything look beautiful. And depending on how close to or far away from the equator you are it will be shorter or longer.

For me, waking up before the birds does not come naturally. It is heavy, I am slow in the morning, and I generally prefer to sleep in. The bed feels soooo good! But I really love the morning light! It is golden, it provides inspiration and it gives fantastic pictures.

So what do I do? Set at least two alarms to go off! I have a phone and a tablet, and each of the has an alarm app. It feels a little like self-punishment for a few minutes, but after a quick shower, I am ready to face the world.

I recommend that you back time from the place you want to be when the sun comes up. There are several useful apps and websites that can tell you when the sun is rising in your area. Plan to be there at least 30 minutes before that time so you can catch the light also before sunrise.

]]>Photographing at markets – feirashttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/feira-a-market/ Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:52:45 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=62In Brazilian Portuguese, feira means market - all kinds of it. The most common one being fresh produce, but you will also find art, antiques etc. And over the last few years, organic markets.

These markets are either set up in blocked off streets, city squares or parks. Just ask the locals what feiras they have and very important – what week-days.

Walking around these markets is an absolute joy. There are so many things to watch, smell and taste! A paradise for street photography.

The vegetables and fruits being sold there are fantastic. Locally produced cheeses, different types of street food and everyday household items, clothes, accessories as well as all kinds of art – you can always find a bargain. And every markets has something unique.

If you explain you are there to take pictures, most people will let you do that without any problems. And nowadays, with our digital cameras, it is easy to show the pictures to anyone.

Every Tuesday and Friday there is a market in one of the streets around Bosque dos Buritis (a park) in Goiania. The market has mainly food, but also a few other things are sold. While living there, I had a lot of time to walk around and get some pictures. If you want to join for a photo walk at a market, send me a contact message.

]]>Doors and windowshttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/doors-and-windows/ Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:51:13 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=60When you look at the houses around you today, something that very much gives the look of them are their windows and doors. Everything from the most simple to more intricate and decorative.

It is also a chance to play with colors and materials. In the area of Norway where I come from, the old style would be a white house made of wood with a different color around the windows and for the doors. With apartment buildings everything has become more uniform and functional. But if you keep looking, you will find unique details. Especially if you get out of the big cities.

I had a chance to take a quick walk during a visit to Pirenopolis in Brazil, a couple of hours drive from the capital Brasilia. Here, it seems like everyone has gone out of their way to make their houses stand out. The city itself has a thriving community of silversmiths that make beautiful jewelry and other artifacts, often mixed with semi-precious stones. If you ever have the chance to get to this area, make sure you include a visit here. You will not regret it!

]]>Waves – 5 tips for taking pictures in a stormhttps://www.oceanwatcher.com/5-important-tips-when-photographing-a-storm/ Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:49:25 +0000https://www.oceanwatcher.com/?p=57I love a big storm. It is something special to see the powers of nature in all it’s glory. Yes, it can be scary with huge waves crashing in, but it all comes down to having respect for it and not do anything stupid. At my home place, Karmøy, there are a lot of places you can watch the sea from a safe distance. And some of those places are excellent spots for taking pictures.

I love a big storm. It is something special to see the powers of nature in all it’s glory. Yes, it can be scary with huge waves crashing in, but it all comes down to having respect for it and not do anything stupid. At my home place, Karmøy, there are a lot of places you can watch the sea from a safe distance. And some of those places are excellent spots for taking pictures.

Keep yourself safe!

The first thing you need to remember when taking pictures in conditions like this is to stay safe. Take your time to study the direction of the wind, where the waves break, how big they are and if they wash over places where you would normally go on a calm day. There is usually a certain rythm to the waves – try to figure it out and it will be easier to predict the big ones. BUT – do not rely on it and try to get closer. Always stay at a safe distance. You might suddenly get a big one that could drag you into the water. Another good thing is to never be alone. Should anything happen, there is someone to call for help. And while I am on that subject – do you know the emergency numbers? If you are a tourist in a foreign country, do you know how to get in touch with police, ambulance or the fire department? Do this research before you travel!

Facts about wind

There are several ways to describe how strong the wind is and one of the most known is the Beaufort scale. It runs from 0 to 12 and was built on observation. Later, wind speed has been added to it, but this is not exact numbers. Here is a table of the different levels:

Keep your equipment safe

When you are close to the sea on a windy day like this, there will be a lot of salt and humidity in the air and both of these will destroy your camera unless you protect it. A cheap way to do it is to put a plastic bag over the camera and use a rubber band to secure the opening around your UV filter. And no matter what – changing lenses outside in that wind is out of the question. Do it inside a car or house. A better way is to have an underwater housing for your camera. There is a huge variety – all the way from a thick plastic bag that you seal and allows you to take pictures just below the surface to solid housings that can protect your camera down to 30 meters or more. And the prices vary as well. After a trip like this, make sure you clean all your equipment well. Whipe the equipment down the way the manufacturer recommends. That way your equipment will keep working for a long time.

Changes in the light

The light changes rapidly on days like these and you should always look for changes – suddenly the sun can break through and give you beautiful rays or a rainbow. But in general, you should expect low light conditions. So get ready to use the fastest lens you have. And even then, you might have to increase your ISO quite a bit. The colors on a day like this will typically be in the gray blues, white and green. But if the sun comes through the clouds, you might get a nice, warm light.

Layer up!

Dress warm and make sure the outer layer stops both wind and rain. You will probably end up being outside a lot longer than you first planned. Getting wet and cold when the wind is blowing can be dangerous. Hypothermia is definitely a possibility. Start with a layer next to your skin that can transport humidity. Then a shirt, a sweater and finally the wind and water proof layer. Keep you feet dry and your head covered. The only things that should be exposed is your face and hands.

Timing is everything

After a storm that has lasted for several days, you might get sunlight and big waves for a couple of more days even if the wind is a lot calmer so it should provide excellent conditions for photography. I have also experienced excellent conditions the day before the storm really hits, with the wind blowing towards the sea. This blows most of the salt in the air away from you. It helps to check the weather forecast and to learn a little bit about storms. As with all areas of photography – the more you know about the subject, the better you can plan and predict.

My gallery

The pictures in this little gallery were taken at two different places on Karmøy. One is close to the Åkrehamn molo (wave breaker) that protects the harbour there, the other is at the Ferkingstad beach. Both places are popular places to go to watch during a storm. The Ferkingstad beach has a parking place that is elevated and a secure place to watch from, so a lot of people drive out there, park and watch from their cars.